You can decline an OWCP light-duty or modified job offer — but only for a reason OWCP accepts as valid, and only by following its process. Under 5 U.S.C. 8106(c), a partially disabled federal employee who refuses suitable work is not entitled to further wage-loss compensation. Before OWCP can act, it must tell you in writing that it found the job suitable and give you 30 days to accept or explain your reasons. If it rejects your reasons, it must give you 15 more days to accept without penalty. Only then can it terminate wage-loss and schedule-award benefits — medical benefits continue. The deciding factor is whether the job actually fits your doctor-documented restrictions.
What "suitable work" actually means
Suitable work is not the same as your old job. It is work OWCP determines you are medically able to perform given your accepted condition and current restrictions — which can mean modified duty at your agency, a different position entirely, or reduced hours.
OWCP weighs several things when deciding suitability:
- Your medical restrictions as documented by your treating physician — this is the central input, which is why current, specific CA-17 restrictions matter so much.
- The physical and mental demands of the offered position measured against those restrictions.
- Your work experience, education, and any vocational rehabilitation you have completed.
- Commuting distance and whether the position is a real, defined job rather than a placeholder created to trigger the suitability rule.
OWCP compares the job description to the restrictions your physician wrote — not to how you feel on the day the offer arrives. If your restrictions are vague, stale, or more permissive than your actual capacity, a job you genuinely cannot do can still be found suitable. Keeping CA-17s current is the single most protective thing you can do before an offer ever comes.
The penalty for refusing suitable work (5 U.S.C. 8106(c))
This is one of the harshest provisions in FECA, and it is worth understanding before you respond to any offer. Under 20 CFR 10.517, once OWCP completes its notice process it terminates entitlement to compensation under 5 U.S.C. 8105, 8106, and 8107 — wage-loss compensation and schedule awards — on all claims where the injury occurred before the termination decision.
20 CFR 10.517 places the burden on the employee to show that a refusal or failure to work was reasonable or justified. OWCP does not have to prove the job was suitable in the first instance — you have to show why it was not. That is why a refusal supported by current medical evidence is very different from a refusal supported by an explanation.
One thing the penalty does not touch: your medical benefits under 5 U.S.C. 8103 continue for the accepted condition. Losing wage-loss compensation does not cut off your treatment.
The two-notice process OWCP must follow first
OWCP cannot terminate benefits the moment you decline. 20 CFR 10.516 requires a specific sequence, and it exists to give you a chance to respond:
- First notice — 30 days. OWCP advises you in writing that it has found the offered work suitable and gives you 30 days to either accept the job or present reasons countering that finding.
- OWCP reviews your reasons. If it accepts them, the matter ends there and your benefits continue.
- Second notice — 15 days. If OWCP determines your reasons are unacceptable, it must notify you of that determination and give you 15 more days to accept the work without penalty.
- Termination. Only after both notices have run can OWCP terminate wage-loss and schedule-award entitlement.
Many federal workers treat the second notice as a formality and let it lapse. It isn't. If your reasons were rejected and you accept the position within those 15 days, no penalty applies. If the job genuinely exceeds your restrictions, that window is also your last opportunity to submit stronger medical evidence before termination.
Reasons OWCP may accept for refusing an offer
Not every objection carries weight. Reasons that tend to succeed are grounded in medical evidence or in a defect in the offer itself:
- The job's physical or mental demands exceed your documented restrictions — supported by a current physician's report, not by your own account alone.
- Your condition has materially worsened since the restrictions were written, with objective medical findings showing the change.
- The position is not a genuine, defined job — no real duties, or a role created solely to generate a suitability finding.
- The offer was withdrawn, or the position was filled before you could accept.
- Commuting distance or required hours conflict with medically documented limitations.
Reasons that generally do not succeed include preferring your former position, dissatisfaction with pay or shift, general dislike of the assignment, or personal inconvenience unconnected to a medical restriction.
What to do the moment a job offer arrives
- Write down the date you received it. Every deadline in this process runs from a date — make sure yours is documented.
- Read the job description against your restrictions line by line. Compare specific demands (lifting limits, standing time, repetitive motion) to what your CA-17 actually says.
- See your treating physician quickly. If the job exceeds your restrictions, you need a current medical report that says so specifically — referencing the actual duties in the offer, not general limitations.
- Respond in writing, within the window. Never let a deadline pass without a written response. Keep a copy of everything you send and how you sent it.
- If your reasons are rejected, decide within 15 days. Either accept without penalty, or submit stronger medical evidence before the window closes.
How NuThera helps Las Vegas federal workers
Most suitable-work disputes are won or lost on the quality of the restrictions in the file — long before an offer arrives. NuThera keeps CA-17 duty status reports current and specific, and when a job offer conflicts with your restrictions we produce the medical documentation that addresses the actual duties in the offer rather than restating general limits.
- Las Vegas (Rainbow / Spring Valley): 5765 S Rainbow Blvd, Ste 111, Las Vegas, NV 89118-2537
- North Las Vegas (Aliante): 3880 W Ann Rd #130, North Las Vegas, NV 89031
Don't wait for the deadline to get close. Call (725) 726-7914 or request an appointment — we'll evaluate whether the offered duties fit your current restrictions and document it properly.
This article explains how OWCP's suitable-work rules work. It is not legal advice, and it cannot tell you whether a specific offer in your case is suitable. For representation on a job-offer dispute, consult a federal employment attorney or your union representative.
Keep exploring.
- Return to work after a federal injury
The clinical side of the same process — duty-status categories, restrictions, FCEs, and what recovery progression looks like.
- Can you choose your own OWCP doctor?
Your restrictions are only as good as the physician writing them — and under FECA you choose that physician.
- OWCP appeal options & deadlines
If OWCP terminates benefits over a job offer, these are the appeal paths and the deadlines that apply.
- OWCP Overview
How NuThera supports federal workers through the full claim lifecycle — documentation, restrictions, and return-to-work planning.
- OWCP Forms library
CA-17 duty status reports and every other form referenced in this guide.
- Our Las Vegas (Rainbow) clinic
Address, hours, and directions — the primary OWCP intake location.
Common questions.
Can I refuse a light-duty job offer under OWCP?
Only for a reason OWCP accepts as valid — usually that the job exceeds your documented medical restrictions. Refusing suitable work without justification allows OWCP to end your wage-loss compensation under 5 U.S.C. 8106(c). Respond in writing within the deadline and support your reasons with current medical evidence; under 20 CFR 10.517 the burden is on you to show the refusal was reasonable.
What happens if I refuse suitable work?
After OWCP completes its two-notice process, it terminates entitlement to compensation under 5 U.S.C. 8105, 8106, and 8107 — wage-loss compensation and schedule awards — on all claims where the injury occurred before the termination decision. Your medical benefits under 5 U.S.C. 8103 continue for the accepted condition.
How long do I have to respond to an OWCP job offer?
30 days from OWCP's notice that it found the work suitable, to either accept or present reasons countering that finding. If OWCP determines your reasons are unacceptable, it must give you 15 additional days to accept the work without penalty before terminating benefits.
Does refusing a job offer stop my medical treatment too?
No. The penalty under 8106(c) ends wage-loss compensation and schedule-award entitlement. Medical benefits for your accepted condition continue under 5 U.S.C. 8103, so authorized treatment for that condition is not affected.
What makes a job offer "not suitable"?
Most commonly, the duties, hours, or location conflict with your documented restrictions or your current medical condition. An offer may also be unsuitable if it isn't a real defined position, or if it was withdrawn or filled before you could accept. Current medical evidence tying the specific offered duties to your restrictions is what proves it.
Who decides whether the job fits my restrictions?
OWCP makes the suitability determination, relying heavily on the restrictions your treating physician documented — typically on Form CA-17. That makes keeping those restrictions current and specific the most important thing you can control, because OWCP compares the job description to what's written in your file, not to how you feel.